Paola Mora Zepeda
Kieth Noll, Kentucky-Tennessee ministerial director, and Marjie Noll, Kentucky-Tennessee Trust Services Department administrative assistant, retired March 29, 2022, after 42 years of faithful denominational work. The couple spent 14 of those years serving in the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference.
Kieth and Marjie were both raised in Kansas and were brought up in the Catholic faith. The couple met in a nightclub in 1974 and got married four years later. In 1979, they found out about a six-week evangelistic series taking place in St. Joseph, Mo. Despite the 100-mile daily drive, the couple attended most sessions. At the end of the series, on May 13, 1979, the two were baptized.
Shortly after, Kieth left his job as a manager at a meat locker plant to follow his dream of sharing the Gospel. Throughout his career, he served as a literature evangelist, publishing director, pastor, evangelist and, eventually, ministerial director. In addition to Kentucky-Tennessee, he served in various conferences, including the Kansas- Nebraska Conference, Chesapeake Conference, Iowa-Missouri Conference, and the Washington Conference.
“I always felt a call from God,” Kieth said. “As a child, I had thought of being a Catholic priest or a Mormon missionary. Even as a teenager when I got into the party scene, God was working in my heart …. I just wanted to share the Gospel.”
During the first few years of their ministry, Marjie stayed home to raise their daughters, Jesslynn, Amanda, and Shannon. Later, she worked as a legal secretary, a doctor’s office assistant, and an executive assistant at a financial planning firm. She joined the Kentucky-Tennessee team in 2014 as the administrative assistant for the Ministerial and Publishing departments, and moved to the Trust Services Department in 2018.
“Overall, I just found it very rewarding to be in ministry alongside my husband,” Marjie said. “I love the role of pastor's wife because it's really a privilege and a blessing. I’ve found that people want to know that you love them and care about them. I think if you do that, you're going to have a wonderful experience.”
The couple plan to move to Memphis, Tenn., for their retirement. Kieth had been a pastor at the Memphis First Church from 1999 to 2003. Marjie says she is excited to be closer to her grandchildren. The duo is also looking forward to being in the countryside as they both share a passion for gardening.
During retirement, Kieth says he plans on preaching evangelistic series at least once a year.
“There's nothing I love more than winning souls for God,” Kieth said. “To me, evangelism is my favorite part of ministry.”
As of the writing of this article, the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference has not appointed a new ministerial director. Visit the website, kytn.net, for additional updates.
Kentucky-Tennessee | April 2022
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